Puzzle.



No. 672,|65. Ptented Apr. I6, IQDI.

` W. F. FELDHOFF.

' PuzzLE;

@mation med rgb. 1e, 190;.)

(No Model.)

UNITED ASTATES PATENT EEicE.

WALTER E. EELoHorRoE cHicAGo, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNoR or ONE-HALF To CHARLES E. ROBERTS, oF SAME PLACE.

PUZZLE..

` SPECIFICATION forming part ofv Letters IEatentl No. 672,165, dated April 16, 1901. Application filed February 16 1.901. Serial No. 47,614` (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern/ puzzle as a whole. Tiie section or division d Be it known that LWALTER F. FELDHOFF, has a top piece e, and the section or division a citizen of the United States, residing at Chid has a top piece e', which when the parts cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illiare brought together form a rest or support 55 5 nois, have invented a certain new and useful in the upper portion of the shell or casing, at Improvement in Puzzles, of which the followone end thereof. The Section or division d, as ing is a specification. shown, has the longitudinal inner wall f eX- This invention relates to puzzles of that tending from the bottom to the top of the shell class in which it isthedesign or intention in or casing, and the upper projecting portion of 6o 1o solving the puzzle to trap a ball in a chamber this wall or partition j' is cut away at each or compartment, and .has for its objects theA end, leaving an opening f at one end in line construction of a puzzle in which a ball is to with the tops e and e and an openingf2 at the be removed from one compartment or chamopposite end. A wall or partition g extends ber and deposited or received into another. from the wall or partitionf to the side piece 65 i5 compartment or chamber adjacent to thevcoma. of the shell or casing, and these partitions partment or chamber in 'which it vis normally fand g divide the upper portion of the shell located; and the invention consists in the feaor casing into a compartment or chamber h, tures of construction and combination of parts a compartment or chamber 7d, and a comparthereinafter described and claimed. ment or chamber h2, and the compartment or 7o zo In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective chamber h2 is formed by a bottom e2 and an view of the puzzle asa whole; Fig. 2, a cenend partition or wallfs, extending from the tral longitudinal section of the puzzle; Fig. partition or wallf to the side piece a, and, as 3,alongitudinal section of the puzzle through shown, the bottom e2 of the compartment or the receiving-compartment or chamber for the chamber h2 is in a higher plane than the rest or 75 ball; Fig. 4, a' cross-section on line 4 of Fig. bottom formed by the tops e and e. The wall 2, showing the parts in normal position withor partitionf iu line with the compartment or out the ball to be trapped; Fig. 5, a similar chamber h has an opening 112,' which furnishes View to Fig. 4, taken on the line 5`of Fig. 3 a communication between a chamber z', loand show-ing the puzzle tipped into position cated below the bottom orfloor e2, and a cham- 8o 3o for passing the ball Ato be trapped from the ber t", located below the chambers h and h', containing compartment or chamber therefor and the chamber 't' communicates with the into the receiving compartment or chamber; upper portion of the division or section d of and Fig. 6, a cross-section on line 6 of Fig. 2, the puzzle by an inclinej, formed on the upshowing the parts in position for the ball to per portion or face of an extension d2 of the 85 35 enter the receiving compartment or chamber. section or division d, as shown in Fig. 3, so The puzzle is to have a main shell or casing that the ball which is to be trapped basa free formed of side pieces a and a', end ypieces'b passage-way between the upper portion of the and b', and a bottom c, and these parts may shell or casing and the chambert' through the be made of metal, papier-mache, vulcanized rest or door of the tops e and e' and the open- 9o 4o rubber, or other suitable material. The ining or mouth f' of the central partition or terior of' the puzzle is formed in two divisions wall f." or sections d and d', divided longitudinally of The bottom of the compartments or chamthe Shell or casing,; and, asV shown, these secbers h and h is formed by a tilting platform tions are formed separate from the `side pieces k, having trunnions or pivots lo mounted in 95 45 of the shell or casing and constitute at their the side wall a' and the central partition or lower portions the bottom c of the shellfor wallf, so that the platform is free to tilt. casing; but a separate bottom-could be pro- The end of the platform beneath the comvided, and, if desired,the section or division partment or chamber 7?. has a downward-exd could be formed with the sidefpiece ag'with tending wing or flap k2, which when the platxoo 5o the side piece a separate, inv order to permit vform is normal or at rest closes the opening the assembling ofthe p arts comprising the i2 between the chambers 1l and t'; but when the platform is tilted down, as shown in Fig. 3, the opening i2 is left free, so as to furnish a communication from the tilting end of the platform into the chamber i. The opposite end of the tilting platform has a downward extension k3, and this extension is continued at right angles thereto, so as to form a table or support 7c", on which the locking and releasing ball l is received, when the platform is in normal position to close the bottoms of the compartments or chambers 7L and Wand prevent communication between such compartments below the inclined partition or wallg by the mouth or opening g at the end of such wall or partition and above the tilting platform, as shown in-Fig. 2. The locking and releasing ball, when the parts are normal, rests on the table or support 7e in a chamber or receptacle m and is held against rolling endwise of the shell or casing from its chamber or receptacle by a guard or retaining-plate m. rThe chamber or receptacle m joins a chamber or receptacle n and communicates therewith by an opening or passage n between the side wall ot and the guard or retaining-plate m', as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the locking and releasing ball is rolled from the table or support into a position to be in line with the mouth or opening,r n it can passinto the chamber or receiver n. The chamber or receiver n has a continuation or upward extension forming a receptacle o, which communicates with a receptacle o in the section or division CZ, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so that when the ball has been entered into the chamber or receiver n it can by properly tipping the puzzle as a whole be carried into the receptacle o and pass into the receptacle 0, where it will be held as shown in Fig. 5. The ball p to be trapped normally lies in the compartment or chamber hand is to be passed from such compartment beneath the partition or wall g into the compartment or chamber 7L and from thence through the mouth or openingf2into the cornpartment or chamber h2, and when the ball is entered into the compartment or chamber h2 the puzzle has been solved.

The operation is as follows: With the parts normal the` locking and releasing ball l is in the chamber m, therefore resting on the table or support 7a4, and when in such position the tilting platform 7., will be held up or in a straight plane, forminga bottom for the compartments or chambers h and h/ and a guard against the passage of the ball p from the compartment or chamber 71 into the chamber or compartment 7L through the mouth or opening g' below the partition or wall g, and the platform will be held in this position so long as the locking and releasing ball remains in its chamber or receiver m, holding the tilting platform raised. The locking and releasing ball, in solving the puzzle, is to be rolled into position where it can pass the guard or retainingplate m and enter the chamber or receiver n through the passage or opening n' and be passed by tipping the puz'- zle as a whole into an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 5, into the pocketor receptacle o', where it will be held, and with the ball thus caught and held the weight which holds the platform raised will be removed and the ball p can be rolled down such platform,which will tip slightly at the end beneath the compartment or chamber h', allowing the ball to pass beneath the stop wall or partition and enter the compartment or chamber h, and when entered into such compartment the ball can be guided over into the corner of the compartment adjacent to the side wall a and the end wall b, where it will be retained and held, so that by turning the puzzle bottom up, or partially so, the platform is returned to its normal position and the locking and releasing ball returns into its locking position in the chamber or receiver, resting on the table or support and holding the platform raised with the ball p in the chamber h', and from whence it can be passedthrough the mouth or opening f2 into the compartment or chamber h2, thus solving the puzzle. The ball 19 must be rolled into the corner indicated in order to solve the puzzle, for if it is rolled into the corner of the compartment or chamber 7U, formed by the partition or wall fand the end wall b, it will pass from the end of the tilting platform through the opening 712 into the chamber t', from which it can roll by tilting the puzzle as a whole endwise up the incline j and return to the receiving compartment or chamber t for solving the puzzle, which is trapping the ball in the compartment or chamber 7L' by passing it thereinto, as above described. The ball can be returned to its normal position in the initial or first chamber by permitting it to enter the intermediate compartment or chamber and rest on the end ot' the tilting platform and then rolling the locking and releasing ball again into its releasing position in the receptacle therefor, so that the ball p to be trapped will depress the end of the tilting platform and pass through the opening t? into the chamber t' and be thence rolled up the incline j into the upper part of the puzzle and into the initial or first chamber. It will be understood that after the ball Z has been entered into its releasing position in the receptacle o and o' the return of the puzzle to a level position returns the ball into the receiving-chamber m back of the guard or retaining-plate onto the table or support of the tilting platform, so that the tilting platform will be held level orin its normal position. The top q of the puzzle can be` made of glass or other transparent material, so as to have the ball to be trapped visible in whatever chamber it is located, and the glass can be retained in place by strips of paper or cloth or other flexible material q', and, if desired, the shell or casing can be covered with a covering of cloth, paper, or other suitable material after the parts constituting the puzzle as a whole have been properly as- IOO Braies sembled. The body of the puzzle, including.

the sections d and d and the parts connected therewith, can be madel of wood, metal, papiermach, vulcanized rubber, or other suitable material, and, as before stated, the parts can be made separate and united together by glue or cement or they can be made of a single piece so formed as'to permit of the assembling of the parts, so as to have the locking and releasing ball in its chamber, the tilting platform in place, and the ball to be trapped in the upper portion of the puzzle, after which the glass or transparent top can be secured in place, so as to prevent access to the interior of the puzzle, requiring the solution thereof to be had by manipulating the puzzleso as to, throw or travelthe locking and releasing ball into its receptacle to permit the' ball to be trapped to enter-the intermediate chamber and pass intothe final compartment or chamber.

The series of upper compartments or chambers, two of which arein line one with the other and separated by the cross wall or partition and the other one of which is alongside ofthe'terminalcompartment or chamber of the two-iodine compartments or chambers and in a higher plane, are the chambers or compartments in which the ball to be trapped is troweled to solve the puzzle. The chamber t', opening i2, and incline j furnish a passageway for returningthe ballto-be teapped from the trapping chamber yor compartment to the receiving chamber or compartment. `"The chamber tis for the location and operation of the tilting platform, andthe chambers Vm and n andreceptacles o ,and of furnish a runway for the locking and releasing ball in controlli-ng the tilting platform, Themovements of the ball to be trapped in its compartments or chambers are attained by thev `position of the tilting platform, and the position of the tilting platform is controlled by the locking and releasing ball, and these two elements constitute the essentialones in carrying out the invention.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a puzzle, of a main shell or casing, a series of compartments or chambers in the upper portion of the shell or casing, a stop wall or partition between two of the compartments or chambers, a tilting platform for the two compartments or cham-v bers and beneath the stop wall or partition, anda lock and release for the tilting platform actuated by manipulating the puzzle as a whole, substantially as described.

of compartments or chambers comprising an initial or first, an intermediate in line with the initial or firstand a iinal or last compartment or chamber at the side of the intermediate one, stop wall or partition between the initial or first and the intermediate compartments or chambers, a'tilting platform for the bottom of the initial or iirst and the intermediate compartments or chambers, and a lock andrelease for the tilting platform actuated by manipulating the puzzle as a whole, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a puzzle, of a main shell or casing, a longitudinal partition or wall, a series of compartments or chambers in theupper portion of the shell or casing and comprising an initial or first, an intermediate and a final or last compartment or chamber, a stop wall or partition between the initial and the intermediate compartments or charn- 1 bers, a tilting platform for the bottom of the initial and intermediate compartments or chambers pivotally mounted in aside wall of the shell or casing and the longitudinal wall or partition, and a lock and release for the tilting platform actuated by manipulating the puzzle as a whole, substantially as described. 4. The combination, in apuzzle, of a main shell or casing, a longitudinal partition or wall, a series of compartments or chambers inthe upper portion of the shell o r casing and comprising an initial or first, an intermediate and a final or last compartment or chamber, a stop wall or partition between the initial and the intermediate compartments or chambers, a tilting platform for the bottom of the initial and the intermediate com-partments or chambers,I a table or support at one end of the tilting platform, a locking and releasing ball normally-carried by the table or support, and a receptacle for the ball in its released position, substantially as described. 5. The combination, in a puzzle, of a main shell or casing, a longitudinal partition or wall, aseries'of compartments or chambers in the u-pper .portion of the shell vor casing and comprising an initial or first, an intermediate anda final orv last compartment or chamber, a stop wall or partition between the initial, and the intermediate compartments or chambers, a tilting platform for the bottom of the initial and the intermediate compartments or chambers, a table or support at one end of the tilting platform, a locking and releasing ball normally carried by the table or support, a. chamber in which the ball can travel, and a receptacle for the ballin its released position, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a puzzle, of a main shell or casing, a longitudinal partition or wall, a series of compartments or chambers inthe upper portion of the shell or casing andl comprising an initial or first, an intermediate and a final or last compartment or v chamber, la stop wall or partition between the 2. The combination, in a puzzle, ofa seriesinitial and the intermediate compartments or chambers, a tilting platform for the bottom of the initial and the intermediate compartments'or chambers, a table or support at one end of the tilting platform, a locking and releasing ball normally carried by the table or support, a chamber in which the ball can travel, a guard or retaining-plate holding the IOO ICS

chambers, a table or support at one end ofthe tilting platform, a locking and releasing ball normally carried by the table or support, a chamber in which the ball can travel, a guard or retaining plate holding the ball on the table or support until released, a receptacle for the ball in its released position, an opening in the partition, and a {iap or cover on the tilting platform for escaping the ball from the end of the tilting platform, substantially as described.

'8. The combination in a puzzle, of a main shell or casing, a longitudinal partition or wall, aseries of compartments or chambers in the upper portion of the shell or casing and comprising an initial or first, an intermediate and a final or last compartment or chamber, a stop wall or partition between the initial and the intermediate compartments or chambers, a tilting platform for the bottom of the initial and the intermediate compartments or chambers, a table or support at one end of the tilting platform, a locking and releasing ball normally carried by the table or support, a chamber in which the ball can travel, a guard or retaining plate holding the ball on the table or support until released, a receptacle for the ball in its released position, an openingin the longitudinal partition, a chamber and return-passage with which the opening communicates, and a iiap or cover on the tilting platform normally closing the opening eral against the ball to be trapped, substantiallyy as described.

9. The combination, in a puzzle, of a trapping compartment or chamber, a ball to be trapped, a tilting platform controlling the passage of the ball to be trapped, and a lock# ing and releasing ball controlling the position of the tilting platform, substantially as described.

lO. The combination, in a puzzle, of a trapping compartment or chamber, a ball to be trapped, a tilting platform controlling the passage of the ball to be trapped, a locking and releasing ball controlling the position of the tilting platform, a return-passage for the ball to be trapped, and a runway for the locking and releasing ball, substantially as described.

ll. The combination, in a puzzle, of a series of connected ball-trapping compartments or chambers, a ball to be trapped, a tilting platform for two of the compartments or chambers controlling the passage of the ball between said compartments or chambers, a locking and releasing ball controlling the position of the tilting platform, a return-passage for the ball to be trapped, and a runway for the locking and releasing ball, substantially as described.

12. The combination, in a puzzle, of aseries of ball-trapping compartments or chambers, a ball to be trapped, a stop between two of the compartments, a tilting platform controlling the passage of the ball to be trapped past the stop between the two chambers, a locking and releasing ball controlling the position of the tilting plat-form, a return-passage for the ball to be trapped, and a runway for the locking and releasing ball, substantially as described.

WALTER F. FELDHOFF.

Witnesses:

OSCAR W. BOND, BERTHA N. PRICE. 

